Aw, wook at da cute widdle muvvaboaaaard... but don't be fooled - this new mini mobo from Gigabyte packs a lot of punch.
The ITX form factor has been around for a while, and though it first debuted almost nine years ago, we have yet to see it used in a seriously tempting enthusiast motherboard. ITX as a standard doesn't even conjure up ideas of high-powered computing; while there were P45 and older boards within the tiny 17cm x 17cm frame, there was a huge limitation on the processing power that could be harnessed. The H55N-USB3 also uses an ITX design, but doesn't really skimp on features... as much.
With support for all LGA1156 processors on the market today (including the 95W-devouring i7 875K on page 36), the chipset of choice here is Intel's H55 Express. This 45nm chipset sips very little power, and the small heatsink applied to it is more than enough to keep things stable even when under heavy loads. The H55 supplies all the inputs and outputs for the board: powering the four SATA2 ports, four USB2 ports with another four available through headers, and it interfaces with Intel's Clarkdale processors to offer up to two integrated displays. On top of these options come two USB3 ports added via the NEC chip onboard, a hybrid USB2/eSATA port and onboard audio through the Realtek ALC892 chipset. Not fantastic sound, but it'll be plenty functional - and digital outputs will be the best choice for quality here.
The form factor limitations begin to encroach on the board's features from this point onwards; there are only two DDR3 slots for memory up to 4GB, and though this is usually more than enough for most users, we found running memory at higher frequencies to be an exercise in frustration - unlike larger ATX designs that have multiple dedicated power phases for the memory slots, this board does not. A single 16x PCIe slot adds in the potential for higher-powered graphical performance, though lanes are shared with the USB3 ports and can diminish performance if both are used concurrently. Realistically this is not a likely scenario.
Perhaps most noticeably reduced of all is the power delivery for the LGA1156 socket itself - it runs only four phases. While this is enough at stock speeds to power even Core i7 processors that can overclock themselves somewhat with Turbo, it's a huge limitation when overclocking manually. Power consumption can more than double when dealing with these high-end chips, restricting our normally speedy chip to a 3916MHz overclock (22x178 @ 1.35V, as seen here). Increasing voltage or frequency above these settings on Intel's quad-core chip drove power consumption far too high for the four phases, resulting in an abrupt shutdown of the board. That we can overclock at all on such a small board is rather impressive, however.
Another concern when attempting overclocking on such a small board is limited space; a Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme won't fit with the memory and graphics card so close, so we resorted to a Thermaltake Contac 29 for cooling duties. Memory sticks can't be higher than the standard height or else they'll interfere with the cooler, and there are only two fan headers on the board.
At the end of the day this ITX board has plenty of flexibility and capability for most demands within the form factor, even our unusually taxing ones, and it's a great choice for any small-sized high-powered computing needs - even for the average Atomican.
HTPC me!You don't need to be an aeronautical engineer to buy an ITX case, a Clarkdale processor and a TV tuner, throw it all together to make yourself a tiny HTPC. You don't even need to be awake when you assemble it, though it arguably helps. High performance mini LAN rig? Yes please.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012